Wayne Brady likes Daytime Emmys deal

Host promises to bring something extra to event

There may be some hotly contested kudos at this year’s Daytime Emmy Awards, but the decision to have Wayne Brady emcee the show was unanimous.

“Wayne’s hosted it before,” says Al Schwartz, the awards show’s executive producer. “It’s taken on even more of a variety show aspect since then. When Wayne’s name was brought up by (CBS exec veep of specials, music and live events) Jack Sussman, we all agreed that he’d be the perfect guy.”

Sherri Shepherd, a former Daytime Emmys host and nominee this year for co-hosting “The View,” says Brady, a multitalented performer who first gained fame on improv sketch show “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” for ABC, “has this innate gift of bringing stuff that nobody else can.”

Schwartz contrasted Brady, who hosts “Let’s Make a Deal” and also has headlined a regular variety show in Las Vegas, with this year’s Academy Awards hosts, Anne Hathaway and James Franco.

“The Oscars went out of their way to say we’re going for youth,” says Schwartz. “But just because you’re an actor doesn’t mean you can ‘act’ the part of a host.”

Brady understands that he has to have his A game for the kudocast.

“It’s an awards show,” Brady says. “If it were just a litany of ‘this person won, OK, now this person has won,’ you’d tune out.”

As host and a nominee (for “Deal”), Brady will have the opportunity to either incorporate his win into the broadcast as the program continues or crack wise if he loses. He’s not preparing for either scenario, however.